As a flight cadet at Cranwell in the late 60s, when we still did 2.5 years there, the provision of No 1 uniforms was quite a palaver. On arrival, we were measured up for a No 1 made (ISTR) by RE City, together with a particularly horrible college blazer with badge. A small payment (about £25 - but remember, that was about a month's pay) was made to us to buy a hat, gloves and shoes, which I think came from Gieves, who had a shop on camp. During the next year, but encouraged to do so as soon as possible, we had to buy a second No1 and hat plus mess kit from Gieves, who had the contract. The money for this (£100) was not payable to the cadet until mid-second year, but Mr Gieves accepted this and let us have the kit up front, knowing that we would cough-up the £100 when it was paid. Sadly (for Mr Gieves), the money was paid a week before the 99 Entry trip to Colorado Springs, and the temptation of an exchange rate of $2.40 = £1 was too much for many of us. Mr Gieves was not a happy cat, and demanded interviews with the Commandant ref the enormous debt he held. On graduation, another £100 was paid with which to buy a third No 1, which was obviously OTT, a greatcoat, another pair of shoes and a cabin trunk. All this went by the wayside in order to pay Gieves for the second No1 and mess kit, so a cheap barathea battledress and a £10 greatcoat from Ernie Bedford in Newark had to suffice.
The USAF Academy trip was great - with no expenses spared!